Escaping Gatlinburg
by Kasey Clark
Summary: A oneshot focused on Emmett McCarty and his thoughts on the last day of his life.


**A/N: **A short one-shot centered around Emmett Cullen. He's one of my favorite vampires, and I just feel like he doesn't get enough love. So here's my two cents. Enjoy!

* * *

Dense, black, clouds hid the sun from my view as I sat in a green patch of grass. Bored, I began to pluck pieces out and shred them into minute sizes.

"Do you have to go?" The unmistakable voice of Gabby Florence resounded from a lounge chair three feet away. The girl, only eighteen, had a way of pushing my nerves until I became deranged with irritation.

"Yes," I answered, exasperated. "You know I've been planning this trip for months."

"So that you can be away from me, right?" she whined, standing up.

I threw her a sharp look. Behind her ugly frown, I caught a glimpse of what had interested me in her so many months ago. She was a pretty girl. Nowhere near beautiful, but she held the potential. Her hair, dirty blonde, hung limply on her shoulders, but her face was composed of everything a guy wished for. Full, red lips, two ocean-blue eyes, and high cheekbones that gave her the ability to make men's heads turn.

"You're so mean to me, Emmett," Gabby stamped.

"Don't be overdramatic," I grumbled. The physical beauty that had captured my attention had faded soon after we were introduced. I quickly discovered that the girl was nothing but a spoiled princess, waiting for me to jump through hoops for her.

Unfortunately, that was what I had to do to secure my comfort. The entire reason I met her was for the sole purpose of winning her heart. If I had failed to accomplish that, I'd be much worse off.

"I invited Sue over for supper tonight, and she plans to bring her new admirer. Some man named Chaffery. I think Father expects you to attend as well."

Sighing, I accepted the turn in conversation. "Well, tell Mr. Florence I'd love to go, but I must work."

"You work too much. I feel as if I barely get to see you!" I could feel the onset of a tantrum brewing. "If you're not spending time with your hunting buddies, you're down at that stupid lumbar mill. When am _I_ going to be your first priority?"

"You forgot Glenna. I enjoy showing off my baby sister to the pathetic suitors of Tennessee,"

I knew it was the worst possible answer I could say, but it was difficult for me to restrain my sarcasm with her.

A shrill, high-pitched scream escaped Gabby's lips. Arms pounding the air in frustration she stomped over to my place in the grass. Her ivory face became a deep shade of purple as she neared my face.

"You conceited, egotistical, _boy_! You think you are so suave and hilarious and gorgeous. I have no idea why I've stayed with you for so long! I should have turned down your offer at drinks the moment I saw your shabby, secondhand clothes!"

The slightest hint of unease passed through me. Gabby had her share of angry outbursts, but she never came close to suggesting a break in the relationship. Before now I lived with the safety net that she was absolutely in love with me.

"Gabby," I pulled her to the ground beside me without much difficulty. I'd lifted sticks heavier than her. "You know how grateful I am that you gave me a chance. Haven't you seen how far we've come? My mother loves you, and Glenna envies your lifestyle so much, it's frightening. And your father and I get along so well, it'd be hard to separate us now." I threw in a sharp smile, a feature I knew she adored.

"Emmett?" One of her petite hands brushed a curl away from my face. Her fingertips were warm and clammy. It made me cringe.

"Yes?"

"When all this over? When we're married and you're working beside Daddy, do you think you can concentrate on me more?"

Grabbing ahold of her hand, I chuckled. "How about I promise that when we're old and gray, and the Depression is just a distant memory, I'll carry you around. Everywhere. I'll make sure you never break a hip or pull a muscle. You'll stay perfectly intact."

The ends of Gabby's lips curved upwards.

"See? I know what makes my fiancée happy. Now, I have to go talk to Henry about the trip." I gave her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving.

* * *

The storm threatening to hit deepened its hold on Gatlinburg as I escaped from the upper-class side of town to the more familiar, blue-collared, side. My father, a burly man with a heart of gold, had managed the local lumber mill for over thirty years. He built the company from his own two hands, and was, at the moment, watching it crumble to pieces by the economical slump.

I watched with a sense of peace as night came upon me. It wasn't that I felt more at ease here, to me, every place in this town held the same value, but I was increasingly more aware of my surroundings. The homes held families I had grown up with, children I had bullied in school, kitchens I had snuck food from.

Things I knew like the back of my hand.

Turning down a narrow street, I stopped in front of my best friend's house. It was simple, with white shutters and a small patch of woods in the backyard. The home had been the location of many long nights with tipsy girls and glass bottles.

Smiling at the memories, I walked to the front door and stepped inside.

"Henry!" I yelled, helping myself to the plate of cookies sitting on the kitchen table. "Henry, are you here?"

From another room came my lifelong best friend, Henry Sands. Everybody believed we were related, both with big builds, a tendency to break the rules, and a careless attitude towards the world.

"What is it, Em? I thought we were meeting up tomorrow for the midnight movie."

I was impatient. Dealing with Gabby had left me frazzled and distracted. "Why don't we push the hunt up?"

Henry scratched his mass of brown hair. "What?"

"Tonight," I started to get excited, reaching for another cookie. "Let's go tonight. I know the weather's bad, but I'm always up for a challenge."

"Emmett, we're not leaving for the mountains for another two weeks. We still have to buy the supplies, find someone to cover our shifts at the mill, and find some poor guy who will hitch us a ride. There's no way on Earth we can leave this second."

My sudden outburst of happiness disappeared. My entire life, I had been surrounded by safety. Nobody took chances, grasped the definition of adventure, grabbed at opportunity when it reared its head. On normal occasions, I stepped back and allowed myself to pass up big things. Things that would shake up boring Tennessee.

But not this time.

More and more I was feeling the constricting quality to Gatlinburg. When I looked into my future, I saw a suffocating marriage, a respectable job, and a boring schedule. There was no surprises, nothing that I truly enjoyed.

At twenty years old, I was starting to feel as if I were losing my freedom.

And that wasn't something I would stand for.

"Henry, we have enough camping supplies to make it, and we won't go far. I promise. No more than five miles out."

I could read the rejection on his face before he even spoke.

"Fine, if you don't want to tag along, I'll go by myself."

"Emmett, wait!" Henry grabbed one of my arms, and tried his best to spin me around. His voice turned anxious as he continued. "Wait until morning, at least! It's almost the middle of the night, and you want to go prancing into the woods with nothing more than a satchel and a rifle."

"So?"

Henry's frown deepened. "_So_? So maybe you're being a little dangerous. Maybe you should stop and think about this for five seconds."

"Henry, when is the last time we had fun?" I caught my friend off-guard with my calm question. "Ever since my parents sent me to marry that ditzy girl, I haven't been able to do anything I have wanted to. I feel like I'm slipping into this mundane, average life."

"Average is good, Em," Henry released my arm. "You can't be this wild guy forever. Eventually, you are going to have to grow up and start being serious."

Anger seeped through every pore of my body. I wanted to get away. Get away from them all. All they were concerned about was fitting in. None of them wanted to take the time to sit back and _enjoy_ themselves. Not my father, with his collapsing job. Not my fiancée, with her deceiving smile. Not even my best friend.

"Fine. You can stay here and be average. You can marry Gabby, and you can try and impress her father every moment of the day. Meanwhile, I'm going to live my life."

I pushed past Henry, reaching for the front door and yanking it open. Night had fallen completely outside, the clouds blocking any stars from lighting my path.

"Where are you going, Emmett?" I heard from behind me.

"To do what I want."

* * *

Everything was fine now.

The pain inside of me was unreal. Like fire spreading through my body. Every organ pleaded for it to stop, and my head struggled to lose itself to the madness of the torture. I felt every drop of venom in me, flowing through my veins, making its way to my dead heart.

But even with the furious venom killing me from the inside out, I was all right.

I had been granted my wish.

My angel had rescued me. She had, with her fierce strength and sheer beauty, taken me away from the crushing walls of my past forever. She had promised me the life I'd always dreamed of.

She took me to a fantasy world. She had handed me off to another angel. One who gave me the most precious gift I could have ever asked for.

One bite, and I had escaped Gatlinburg forever.


End file.
